Pagliai’s Pizza

As a newcomer to Iowa City, friends quickly recommended dozens of restaurants that I had to try. For the last year and a half, I’ve been working my way through the list and discovering my own favorite places along the way. As part of my journey, I made a long-overdue trip to Pagliai’s Pizza in Iowa City last week.

ATMOSPHERE: To say walking into Pagliai’s Pizza is like stepping back in time is as cheesy as the restaurant’s pizza ... but the classic, old-time feel definitely changed my perspective for a couple of hours.

The small restaurant — which offers both dine-in and carry-out options — is lined with black booths, wood tables and minimal decor. The carpet, low-ceilings and patterned wallpaper give the restaurant a homey feel.

The open kitchen — which gives diners a view of the assembly line of pizzas being prepared — offers free entertainment and a look at the care employees, dressed in crisp white shirts and paper hats, put into each pie.

My waitress was friendly and attentive the entire evening.

MENU: The restaurant’s focus is on producing its traditional thin crust pizza. There are no appetizers, no desserts and little wiggle room when it comes to its pizzas (there are two crust options and just one sauce). That said, the pizza shop offers two specialty pies and more than a dozen toppings to choose from if you prefer the build-your-own option.

The restaurant serves a variety of soda and wine along with a handful of beers, coffee, ice tea and milk.

WHAT I TRIED: I ordered the Palace Special pizza ($12.70 to $20.20), which is topped with sausage, beef, pepperoni, mushrooms, onion and cheese. The crust was thin and crisp and gave each bite a bit of crunch. Toppings were evenly distributed over the pizza — not piled high on top of each other — and covered in a thin, layer of cheese. The housemade tomato sauce was smooth and savory, and each of the toppings was fresh and flavorful. My favorite was the sausage, which is seasoned in house because it added just a hint of heat to each bite.

Shakers filled with garlic salt, Italian herbs and dried red pepper flakes are on each table for customers who want to add more flavor to their slices.

BOTTOM LINE: When it comes to traditional thin crust pizza, it doesn’t get much better than Pagliai’s.